The Biggest Mistake of ‘The Red Woman’

Well, now that we’ve all had a chance to cool down from the season 6 premier of Game of Thrones, it’s about time we all sat down and discussed. A lot of the cliffhangers we were left with at the end of season 5 have been resolved, while also presenting new questions – obviously getting me and the rest of the thronies even more hyped.

However, amongst all the talk of the new episode and how excited it’s got us for the rest of the season, people have been pointing out several holes and mistakes. Where did those hounds go? How did the Sandsnakes get on that boat? And was it the necklace or her will that gave Melisandre her power all along? Well some of these can be answered, and some cannot which is to be expected in a series so popular. But, the biggest mistake to me wasn’t a plot-hole or an error in continuity, my biggest gripe is with one of the directions the writers are taking the show.

This of course, will not affect the way I see Game of Thrones as a whole, nor diminish the fire of excitement I feel as the weeks go past, but it is something I need to vent as I believe it could have been handled so much better.

Just before I get into it – yes, Roose Bolton said Stannis was dead but there’s still been no showing of dead Stannis so I’m still living in hope and praying to R’hollor #JusticeforStannis #Theonetrueking

Right so, what’s my biggest problem? Well, it probably comes as a surprise to no-one when I say it’s Dorne. Dorne is my problem.

Season 5 introduced us to many new faces hailing from this large, yet little known part of the GOT universe and while it made up some of the driest portions of last season, nothing (except the death of Myrcella) really happened. This meant that the writers really could have taken it in any direction – sadly the one they chose is a huge letdown.

So in ‘The Red Woman’, we see Doran Martell and Ellaria walking together, chatting about what a great guy Oberyn was (which is fair do’s, I mean HE WAS Oberyn for God’s sake) before he receives a note informing him of Myrcella’s death. Cue Sand snake shanking Areo (seriously what?!) and then Ellaria herself giving Doran himself the Robb Stark treatment with a knife to the heart. The guards stand there doing nothing because apparently every single person in Dorne is on board with this plan, and no-one apparently cares when you murder a country’s leader.

For fucks sake.

Not even joking, EVERY SINGLE PERSON IS APPARENTLY ON BOARD WITH THIS PLAN.

Then we’re treated to the worst scene in the episode with Trystane being bumped off by one of his tom-boy cousins – by the way, The Sandsnakes are the worst part of Game of Thrones by far, but that’s another gripe for another time.

Urgh.

While you could argue this was the writers making up for last season and giving Dorne an actual plot, I however, see it as a missed opportunity to create something great. I am going to have to use the books to back myself up here, but just know I still see the show and the books as two separate entities.

Right so in the books, Doran’s daughter steals Myrcella in the hopes to crown her in secret and then rally Dorne and the rest of Westeros behind a much gentler leader against the Iron Throne, finally getting that justice the Martell’s want so much. The plan is foiled by Doran who sends Areo to get Myrcella back. After ‘saving’ Myrcella, Doran reveals to his daughter that he has secretly been working on a plan to bring down the Lannisters for good, but it requires complete discretion and patience.

Now, this would have been the best way for the show to add a new twist to its already surprising and colourful pallet. Just think, throughout season 5 we’ve been treated to Doran wanting to keep the peace publicly with the crown and with the Lannisters, letting Jaime go free with Myrcella and Trystane in tow – now, how epic would it have been to have it revealed that this was all part of his plan – I’m not really sure what his master plan could have been, but it would turn the show on its head again like its done so many times throughout the seasons. It could have also made Dorne one of the most interesting and exciting plots of the later seasons, not to mention give the Martell’s that edge that everyone keeps saying they have (something which we’ve only seen in Oberyn).

Doran is the prince of Dorne for a reason, and he’s supposed to be twice the man Oberyn was – cunning, smart, witty, strong and brave – and yet, he’s mainly been confined to a chair which would give a man of his talents ample time to come up with a plot to trump all plots, to give him time to reflect and devise a way to finally get the revenge and justice for his sister’s rape and murder that everyone has wanted for so long. But no, Doran and Areo are dead, as is Doran’s son and we have to put up with Ellaria and her really confused motives, and the Sandsnakes with their cringe-inducing dialogue – such a better choice!

Poor Areo, he never even got to use that awesome halbard thing of his 😦

I dunno, to me this just seemed like a lazy way to get the Dorne sub-plot moving from 0 to a 100 in a matter of seconds, and in all honesty, I’m no longer curious as to where it could go.

To quote Tyene Sand: ‘You want a good plot, but you need a bad pussy’.

With dialogue like that, it’s obvious why they’re now a regular thing ‘_____’

One thought on “The Biggest Mistake of ‘The Red Woman’”

Agreed man, they really butchered Dorne. I don’t even care what’s going on there anymore. My best explanation is that they just rushed through the story (setting up the Martells against the lannisters/ team Dany) cos they didn’t have enough time to tell that whole story?